Frostbite Can Happen to Anyone, Especially The Homeless

Below-zero wind-chill temperatures mean plenty of warnings to bundle up. Low temperatures create a risk of frostbite if you leave skin exposed.

Professor of emergency medicine Dan Rusyniak at Eskenazi Health says frostbite patients at the E-R are almost always people who can’t or won’t come in from the cold: the homeless, the mentally ill, or people with substance abuse issues.

He also says blood-pressure medicines and some psychiatric medications can make anyone more vulnerable to frostbite by interfering with the process of rushing blood to fingers and toes. Diabetes can also impede the body’s ability to heat itself.

Warming stations have been opened by the City of Muncie.  Those in need can visit City Hall or any of Muncie’s seven fire statons to warm up.